Coming To Bangor This Fall: One Bin, All In Garbage & Recycling

Bangor residents will soon have a more simplified system when it comes to dealing with their trash and recycling. Representatives from the City Council announced this week that the City will start implementing a 'one bin all in' approach to both curbside and commercial trash and recycling pick-up, this fall. The thought is that instead of separating your garbage and your recycling into different bins, you bag everything up together and put it in the same bin. According to the post on the City of Bangor, Maine Facebook Page, this will help Bangor recycle more than it has ever in the past.

"As we recently announced, our partnership with the new Coastal Resources facility in Hampden will recover, recycle, and upgrade many of the wasted materials thrown out each week. Your "commingled" bins of trash and recyclables will be sorted on site at Coastal Resources of Maine, where separate parts will be transformed into something useful. Parts of your trash will be converted into ethanol and biogas; plastics are converted into "briquettes" that can be used for fuel; and solubilized food waste is processed through anaerobic digestion."

The new process won't begin officially until September 2nd. Until then, City officials ask that Bangor residents continue to sort their trash and recycling as usual. All the details of the new change are still being worked out and will be released as the September date gets closer.

City officials did hint that the City Council is researching the possibility of an automated truck pick-up, which could require the purchase of specialized bins down the road, but for now it looks as though folks won't have to buy any new or specialized containers for the changeover. They can just use the bins they already have.

Another thing people may want to take note of is that after that changeover takes place on September 2nd, the Public Works Recycling Facility on Main Ave will no longer be open, or receiving drop-offs of recyclable materials.

If you're curious about how the new process with Coastal Resources will work, there is a link provided which breaks down how waste is sorted and recycled. You can check it out here.